A dedicated uniformed police officer and community support officer will be put in every electoral ward over the next year.

They will be regularly seen on the beat and residents will be able to contact them by mobile phone and e-mail.

Officers will also hold drop-in sessions at local buildings such as schools and GP surgeries, where people can speak directly to them about problems with crime.

Households will be sent leaflets with photographs and contact details of their Neighbourhood Policing Team, and informed when police surgeries will be held.

Chief Constable Sean Price heralded the move as "Dixon of Dock Green for the 21st century."

He said: "This is something I have been looking to introduce force-wide since I was appointed. But it is only now, thanks to the assistance of our partners, that we have been able to deliver.

"The public and their elected representatives have made it clear they want a more visible presence on the streets and greater contact with officers dedicated to their area and that is what they are getting.

"It's Dixon of Dock Green for the 21st century and it will mean a police contact name for every neighbourhood in the Cleveland area."

Neighbourhood Policing has been piloted in Hartlepool for the past year.

Mr Price said it helped cut crime by 10% in the town and put detections up 6%.

Stuart Drummond, the mayor of Hartlepool, told the Gazette today that Neighbourhood Policing had worked.

"It has gone fantastically well, better than anyone could have expected," he said.

"Every ward now has its dedicated officers and PCSOs.

"People actually know who they are and they are coming forward with information more and more."

Mr Drummond said in a meeting with the Chief Constable, that around 60 Hartlepool residents praised how well neighbourhood policing was going.

Mr Price added that Neighbourhood Policing was the central plank of his 'Putting People First' philosophy.

"Crime has been falling across Cleveland but I am acutely aware that some people are still afraid to walk down certain streets. Sometimes they feel as if they are prisoners in their own home," he said.

"I believe Neighbourhood Policing will not only lead to a further fall in crime and anti-social behaviour, but also a reduction in the fear of crime."

Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said: "When the authority agreed our spending plans for the year ahead we made the extension of Neighbourhood Policing our top priority and we are now delivering."